LOCAL postmasters are being given one of their largest-ever pay rises this month as part of the Post Office’s five‑year transformation plan ‘New Deal for Postmasters’.

They will benefit from higher revenue shares across core products, strengthened incentive payments, and targeted branch support.

The move comes after the closure in recent years of swathes of local Post Office branches and sub-branches across the area.

A Post Office spokesperson said the wage increases were some of the most significant in recent years and reinforced a long‑term commitment to improving the sustainability and profitability of the network.

The changes mean banking and travel products will now deliver a minimum 55 per cent revenue share to postmasters, while all other products will deliver at least 50 per cent, ensuring their income grows in line with customer demand.

The ‘remuneration uplift’ forms part of the Post Office’s ambition to increase postmaster income by £250 million by 2030.

Post Office chief revenue officer Dominic Grounsell said postmaster remuneration remained ‘a strategic priority’.

Mr Grounsell said: “Delivering a meaningful uplift in postmaster remuneration is central to the ‘New Deal for Postmasters’.

“These changes ensure postmasters receive a fair, proportionate reward for the essential services they deliver and are properly supported to grow their businesses.”

National Federation of Sub-Postmaster chief executive Calum Greenhow said incomes for most postmasters were in decline from 2012 to 2019, even before accounting for inflation

Mr Greenhow said overall, remuneration was now moving in the right direction, and he was confident the Post Office’s new management team was genuinely focused on increasing income for postmasters.

He said: “The only genuine way forward is for Government and PO to recognise postmasters as partners, working together from a position of equality and equity.

“Only then can we meet the challenges of increasing competition and deliver the best outcomes for our customers.”